![]() I attended courses with Paul for two years, and my entire understanding of Yin Yoga changed. So, I decided to learn more directly from Paul to understand and experience his teachings firsthand. There, I experienced Yin Yoga as a gentle stretching form of yoga, focusing only on passive stretches with a lot of talk about meridians and energies.ĭuring my course with Biff, I learned that he had studied Yin Yoga from the founder of this relatively new style, Paul Grilley. I researched a bit and went to learn Yin Yoga from a respected teacher Biff Mithoefer. Now I become curious and decided to check about it. This was very different from what I heard earlier. Some of them described it to be a very challenging way of doing yoga. Over the next few years, I got the same question many times, and many of my students mentioned Yin Yoga. I remember laughing aloud and saying, in that case, I will never teach Yin Yoga (I forgot the wise lesson to never say never ). She said that she gets very good sleep during the class and finds it very relaxing. She described it as yoga for lazy people, so they don’t have to move much and still feel they went to a yoga class. I was surprised, and asked ‘’what is Yin Yoga?’’ She told me that it is a new Chinese yoga style that is getting very popular in America. Hold for 1-5 minutes, listening to as much pressure as your body can handle.In 2002, one of my students asked me if I teach Yin Yoga. This posture helps to isolate a stretch in the lower back without working the hamstrings. Allow your body to gently drape over the top of your legs, resting your forearms on your thighs or shins. It also stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system (the rest and digest mechanism, as opposed to the sympathetic nervous system’s fight or flight response mechanism), creating a calming effect.Īgain, hold for several minutes (halfway through, switching cheeks).įrom a seated position, bring the soles of your feet together and move them away from your hips creating a large diamond shape. Supported Child’s pose relieves tension in the lower back and into the shoulders. ![]() Slowly walk your hands out into Child’s pose, and allow your chest to rest on the support. From your knees, take your knees to the edge of the mat, and place the cushion directly in front of you. Hold and breathe for several minutes, then switch to the other side.įirst, grab a bolster or rolled blanket. This stretch helps release tension we hold in our upper backs where loads of stress builds up. Use your left hand to help you roll onto the right side of your body, keeping the right arm extended. Rest your right cheek on the mat, and plant your left hand next to your shoulder. When life speeds up and stress ensues, take a deep breath for your mind and body and practice these Yin yoga poses to slow it back down.ĭo you have your own go-to sequence or yoga poses that never fail to calm you down? Share your tips in the comments below!Ĭome down onto your belly and extend your arms into a T out to your sides. When there’s a yang, take time to stop and find the yin. ![]() If this is uncomfortable to hold, take your blanket (or blocks) and place it under your knees for extra support. Take one hand to your heart and one to your belly. Supta Baddha Konasana (Supine Bound Angle Pose)įrom your back, bring the soles of your feet together and let your knees fall open wide. Melting Heart Pose creates a deep stretch into the shoulders and meanwhile lengthens the spine. Either rest your forehead or chin on the mat. Extend your arms and walk them forward as you melt your heart towards the ground. Puppy Dog Pose)Ĭome to all fours and then release down onto your forearms. So if you’re feeling stressed and frazzled lately, here’s a simple yet effective Yin yoga sequence to calm you down. This has an extremely calming effect because a lot of stress that physically manifests into these connective tissues is released. Yin poses are typically held for several minutes with a gentle pressure in order to slowly work the connective tissues that don’t stretch like muscles do. Your typical yoga class might not target these types of tissues, but Yin yoga poses go deeper. ![]() These types of tissues connect 1) bones to bones, 2) muscles to bones, and 3) wrap muscles fibers into muscle groups. Specifically, the connective tissues (ligaments, tendons, and fascia) in your body. Notice how slowing down your breath calms your mind and body down immediately? Well, Yin yoga is like taking long, deep breaths for your body.
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